TDCJ Bus and Tow Truck Accident North of Town this Morning

A major accident occurred this morning near the 126 mile marker on I-45, north of town. DPS Trooper Erik Burse reports that shortly before five this morning, two tow-truck drivers were removing a vehicle that had been involved in an accident at around 2:45 this morning. The drivers were towing the wrecked vehicle from out of the center median on I-45 northbound. Both wrecker drivers had their lights activated. Two wrecker drivers were also standing by one of the trucks.

A TDCJ bus was traveling northbound in the inside lane. The bus driver reports he saw the lights of one wrecker driver, but didn’t see the lights of the other wrecker driver which were in a slanted position. The bus struck that wrecker unit. The wrecker unit pinned one driver up against its cable, and threw the other one about 10 or 15 feet.

The TDCJ bus was occupied with three correctional officers and 23 inmates. Several inmates were taken, as a precautionary measure, to Huntsville Memorial to be checked out as were all three correctional officers.

One wrecker driver was life-flighted to Hermann Memorial Hospital in Houston. The other driver was taken to Huntsville Memorial. There were no fatalities.

Burse added that the move-over law has changed. He said it just doesn’t include police officers, fire trucks, or ambulances. It also includes wrecker-drivers.